The Kid (1921)

[Akijama]

The Kid Blu-ray PRE-ORDER

New 4K digital restoration of Charlie Chaplin’s 1972 rerelease version of the film, featuring an original score by Chaplin, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray
New audio commentary featuring Chaplin historian Charles Maland
Jackie Coogan: The First Child Star, a new video essay by Chaplin historian Lisa Haven
A Study in Undercranking, a new piece featuring silent-film specialist Ben Model
Interviews with Coogan and actor Lita Grey Chaplin
Excerpted audio interviews with cinematographer Rollie Totheroh and film distributor Mo Rothman
Deleted scenes and titles from the original 1921 version of The Kid
“Charlie” on the Ocean, a 1921 newsreel documenting Chaplin’s first return trip to Europe
Footage of Chaplin conducting his score for The Kid
Nice and Friendly, a 1922 silent short featuring Chaplin and Coogan, presented with a new score by composer Timothy Brock
Trailers
PLUS: An essay by film historian Tom Gunning

Charlie Chaplin was already an international star when he decided to break out of the short-film format and make his first full-length feature. The Kid doesn’t merely show Chaplin at a turning point, when he proved that he was a serious film director—it remains an expressive masterwork of silent cinema. In it, he stars as his lovable Tramp character, this time raising an orphan (a remarkable young Jackie Coogan) he has rescued from the streets. Chaplin and Coogan make a miraculous pair in this nimble marriage of sentiment and slapstick, a film that is, as its opening title card states, “a picture with a smile—and perhaps, a tear.”

Charlie Chaplin - The Kid (Trailer) - YouTube

[Leterface]

Criterions best cover art for Chaplin BD's and best The Kid BD cover ever IMO.

Just damn curious what does digital 4k restoration mean?

[Namuhana]

The film I'm most excited for from Criterion's February releases. I love me some Chaplin, and The Kid is excellent.

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by Leterface

Just damn curious what does digital 4k restoration mean?

It means it's going to look pretty freakin' good!

[silverlakephil]

Originally Posted by Leterface

Criterions best cover art for Chaplin BD's and best The Kid BD cover ever IMO.

Just damn curious what does digital 4k restoration mean?

Growing up as a kid in the 70s, that cover art was one of the first introductions to film I ever saw, so I look forward to this. I always confuse Jackie Coogan with Jackie Cooper.

[Hubunkey]

One of my 10 year old son's favorite movies. Can't wait to get this.

Is this shortened version the same one that Criterion has on Hulu and has aired on TCM?

[Illy Scorsese]

Day 1

Been waiting on this one for awhile.

[javi92]

So only the re-release version is included?

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by Leterface

Just damn curious what does digital 4k restoration mean?

Means what it says. Directly using a 4K resolution scan of the film materials (without any down-sampling to a lower resolution like 1080p or 2K), the restoration team has performed scratch / dirt removal, stabilization, color grading and what-have-you techniques using fancy computers and software (no photochemical processes applied). It is a more tedious and time-consuming project than working with the same material at lower resolutions, but the benefit is that the end-product is easily adaptable for 4K presentations (like in cinemas, and maybe at some future point on 4k-able home systems).
One suspects the end result will be pleasing

[KG204]

Yes! I say bring on more Charlie Chaplin! Would love a release of The Circus after this.

[Matt Richardson]

52 minutes seems kind of short for a blu-ray with a $29.99 retail price. Is there some legal reason why Criterion couldn't include 2k scans of a few of the 1st National shorts on this release?

[pedromvu]

Originally Posted by Matt Richardson

52 minutes seems kind of short for a blu-ray with a $29.99 retail price. Is there some legal reason why Criterion couldn't include 2k scans of a few of the 1st National shorts on this release?

$39.95 SRP

It is the way most Criterion blu's are priced, only releases without/very few supplements cost less.

And this one seems to have many supplements.

I do hope they can release a boxset with all the First National shorts in the future though.

[Bandit Tajomaru]

Originally Posted by Matt Richardson

52 minutes seems kind of short for a blu-ray with a $29.99 retail price. Is there some legal reason why Criterion couldn't include 2k scans of a few of the 1st National shorts on this release?

I think they are saving the 1st national shorts to include with the future A Woman of Paris blu-ray. The Korean blu-ray included a standard definition copy of My Boy as a bonus on the Kid. I guess their isn't a HD copy of that movie for Criterion to include with this disc.

[pro-bassoonist]

The Kid Blu-ray REVIEW



The definitive release of Charlie Chaplin's The Kid has arrived.

An outstanding 4K restoration that is guaranteed to have a reserved spot on all prestigious Top 10 lists at the end of 2016. The bonus features are also very impressive. Fans of silent cinema should be quite pleased with Ben Model's technical analysis. Fantastic.

Buy this release, folks

Pro-B

[Alfred E. Neumann]

God... I bought the Chaplin Collection in Germany and all transfers are even worse (compression, sharpness) than the old Blu-rays.

[SkyAntoine]

Can't wait to see this. I'm a sucker for sappy family dramas and I love Chaplin. This seems like it brings the best of both worlds together. I have never seen this movie, but fully expect it to go high on my all-time Chaplin list.

[WaverBoy]

Originally Posted by pro-bassoonist

The Kid Blu-ray REVIEW



The definitive release of Charlie Chaplin's The Kid has arrived.

An outstanding 4K restoration that is guaranteed to have a reserved spot on all prestigious Top 10 lists at the end of 2016. The bonus features are also very impressive. Fans of silent cinema should be quite pleased with Ben Model's technical analysis. Fantastic.

Buy this release, folks

Pro-B

It may look fantastic, but alas, it ain't definitive, because it's still missing crucial footage. I'm reeeeeaaaaaalllllly glad I picked up the proper version while the getting was good. It'll do me just fine until the Estate realizes how ridiculous their mostly-enforced policy is.

[Professor Echo]

Originally Posted by WaverBoy

It may look fantastic, but alas, it ain't definitive, because it's still missing crucial footage. I'm reeeeeaaaaaalllllly glad I picked up the proper version while the getting was good. It'll do me just fine until the Estate realizes how ridiculous their mostly-enforced policy is.

Much as I like Pro-B, I have to agree with this assessment. The review should be amended to read "The definitive edition of Chaplin's revisionist, edited version of THE KID." There is a very big difference between the two versions and no critic familiar with each would ever deem the cut one "definitive." It's a misleading description.

[ccg1978]

is this worth a blind buy? I really like Gold Rush and Modern Times. Does this fall in the same style?

[Bandit Tajomaru]

Originally Posted by ccg1978

is this worth a blind buy? I really like Gold Rush and Modern Times. Does this fall in the same style?

Yes!